How much gas will be used? 50hp-115hp

In just trying to figure out about how much of a boat I could afford to run. I have looked at several boats from 50HP to 115HP. 16 to 19ft. I am basicly just looking for a v bottom center console 16-19 feet and wondering about how much extra gas a larger boat will go through.

Re: How much gas will be used? 50hp-115hp

i have a 1974 bayliner 1950 jamaica with the merc 165 i/o.
we cruise from 2800 to 3700 rpm and that is 20 to 27 mph.
at 6000 ft. elevation i have been getting 4 mpg. all milage and speed figures come from 2 gps's and they are real close to the same reading so i think they are right.

Re: How much gas will be used? 50hp-115hp

Let me add I used to have a 86 bass tracker with a 35hp on it and would go through about 9 gallons each time I went out. I am sure if I had something bigger I would do more as in pull a tube or something and going a little farther. But that 35 sucked down the gas fast. Just guessing but I would say I was under 2MPG.

Re: How much gas will be used? 50hp-115hp

Typical rule of thumb is 10% of horsepower rating is approximate GPH(gallons per hour) at WOT (wide open throttle).Thus 5 gph for a 50 hp 10 gph for a 100 and so on.gph is approximately the same regardless if it is a race boat or a house boat.The difference is the speed and thus the mpg.
ie: 50 hp. 5 gph, 20 mph = 4 mpg. at 40 mph =8 mpg.
If you throttle back to the sweet spot most speed with a good gph not necessarily the best gph.= best mpg.

Re: How much gas will be used? 50hp-115hp

http://www.coralbayboats.com/165cc.html

This is a boat I am considering, Unsure of the price at this point but at small local car lot. I am pretty sure its the owners I have bought a car there before and I know he was selling another boat 2 years ago to buy a new one. I believe this is the boat he bought. Guessing its a 2005

Its a little smaller than I was wanting but thinking its more suits my needs budget wise. Will it be able to pull a tube with it only running a 50hp? Any guesses on top speed? 30MPH?

Re: How much gas will be used? 50hp-115hp

Put a 90 hp Merc on it..

Re: How much gas will be used? 50hp-115hp

Steelspike's WOT numbers have appeared for a long time and must be pretty accurate. But the difference is when you come off WOT.

I have a '97 sales brochure for an EFI Merc and they advertise a 10% better than average improvement at WOT to 80% better at idle.

So regardless of what the numbers are (even if average were the same at both throttle settings....but they aren't) , here's a very definite indication that you will get better mileage at reduced throttle settings so "more is better". Get the biggest engine you can afford (that is legal on the boat) and run it at the lower throttle settings and get your mpg's. Usually best mpg's are obtained just above planing speed where hull drag is reduced and engine rpm's are within reason.

Mark